However, she had to give them more homework before the Chinese New Year so that they wouldn't be bored and have nothing to do when she wasn't around during the Chinese New Year.
Xue Huahua didn't have much trouble teaching them primary school courses.
Junior high school courses were obviously much more difficult.
If she and Li Xuemei left, Xue Huahua probably wouldn't be able to handle it. Leaving as much homework as possible could reduce the burden on Xue Huahua.
Lu Dewen and the others didn't know Luo Mengying's thoughts. They just felt that Luo Mengying was much busier.
In the past, she would chat with others when she didn't have classes.
Now, she was immersed in writing all day.
The weather was cold.
After the pig slaughter, it rained and snowed for a few days. It was so cold that people gritted their teeth.
They were shivering.
The wind in the pig farm was strong. The bone-piercing wind made people's tongues tremble. Xue Huahua changed the location of their study.
In the morning, they went to the educated youth's room to learn mathematics and geography. In the afternoon, they went to Li Xuemei's house to learn language and history. Their original intention was to prevent the two of them from catching a cold and getting sick.
Li Xuemei was fine.
She wanted to nurse the children.
She didn't go anywhere at home in the morning.
After lunch, she waited to teach them.
Luo Mengying was different.
She didn't stay idle even if she didn't have classes.
She carried her textbooks to Li Xuemei's house to flip through them.
From the first page to the last page, she flipped through them repeatedly. As she flipped, she wrote and drew on the notebook. Her strict and serious attitude made Lu Dewen and the others feel ashamed. As intellectuals, they were so hardworking. What right did they have to be lazy?
Especially Lu Dewen and Lu Mingwen, they were ashamed of Luo Mengying's hard work. In this exam, the two of them performed well, and after eating two more slices of pork, they felt a little lightheaded, and their tense nerves suddenly relaxed. In the morning, they were too weak to get out of bed, and in the evening, they yawned and wanted to sleep. Compared to Luo Mengying, who was not afraid of anything, they were too depraved.
While he was distracted, he felt a frosty gaze on him. Lu Dewen shivered and raised his head in shock. When he saw his mother's extremely cold face, he quickly lowered his head.
"What's the matter? Do you want to go on winter vacation like other primary school students?" It was too cold. When Xue Huahua spoke, there seemed to be a cigarette burning at the corner of her lips. Lu Dewen straightened his back and answered firmly, "No." They were adults. How could they be as playful as children? Moreover, learning was not like planting crops. The seeds would take root and sprout no matter if they were planted or not. Learning was like sailing against the current. If they did not learn for two days, they would forget the knowledge in front. How could they dare to be lazy?
"If you don't want to, then listen carefully. Luo Zhiqing and the others will go home tomorrow. I will teach all the language and mathematics during this period." Not knowing whether it was because of the cold weather or because she was angry, Xue Huahua's face was tense, and she looked very dignified. Lu Dewen nodded hurriedly, and so did Lu Mingwen and Lu Jianxun.
Luo Mengying flipped through the book attentively, and from time to time, she would take notes in the notebook. Xue Huahua did not want to disturb her with nonsense, so she patted the book. "Listen carefully. Write down what you need to write in the notebook, and when you have nothing to do, you can always recite it. Don't think that everything will be fine just because you don't have to do your homework in the courtyard. There are many notebooks, and in the future, all your homework will be written in the notebook."
The siblings agreed in unison.
Xue Huahua looked down, found the part where she stopped, and started to read again. There were not many skills in history, and they just needed to memorize it. Xue Huahua did not know which key points were, and her questions were based on the elements of writing a composition: time, place, characters, events, the cause and result of the event, and the impact of the event. The exam also tested her thoughts on these aspects. Lu Dewen was familiar with her routine, and in every exam, history was always the best. Not only Lu Dewen, but Lu Mingwen, Lu Jianxun, and Lu Hongying were also good at history.
After reading the contents of the chapter without missing a word, Xue Huahua found the content that she thought was the key, and read it slowly, so that they could copy it in the notebook. As the saying goes, a good memory is not as good as a bad pen, and it was better to write more and memorize more. When there were words that they did not know how to write, Xue Huahua wrote it down on the wooden board, and marked the Pinyin and meaning.
After finishing the last word, Xue Huahua breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, the history class of the third year of junior high has ended. Since the language and mathematics courses are lagging behind, there will be no history class from tomorrow onwards. We will wait until the progress of the language and mathematics courses catch up." Xue Huahua's teaching method was simple and crude. She read the text twice, and then let them digest it on their own. If it was not for the time limit, with Xue Huahua's speed, she could finish the history class in two days.
She was relaxed, but Lu Dewen and the rest were not. They lowered their heads, read the content in the notebook in a low voice, and silently memorized it.
Xue Huahua stood for a while, put down the book, and went to the kitchen to look for her grandson. Li Xuemei and Lu Ming were going to the farm to visit the old man, and they were preparing to bring food for the old man. The meat was cooked first, and the steamed buns were steamed first. They would leave tomorrow morning. Xixi held a burnt branch and scribbled on the wall. Dong Dong was curled up on Lu Ming's lap, looking at the stove with a smile. Lu Ming was carrying a baby on his back, and another baby on his lap. When he bent down to pick up the firewood, his movements were very funny. Xue Huahua went over and picked up Dong Dong, "Did you ask Uncle Lu Ming to roast sweet potatoes again?"
Dong Dong pointed at the stove, smiling so much that his eyes were curved. "Sweet potatoes, two." When he said two, he even made a peace sign, indicating that he said two.
"It's almost dinner time. Grandma will roast sweet potatoes for you when we get home later. Uncle Lu Ming will roast sweet potatoes for little brother Xiao Ming." After a while, Lu Dewen and the rest could go home after they memorized the content. From tomorrow onwards, they would study at home and not go out. It was cold everywhere, and they could not stand the cold.
Lu Ming added a few bamboo sticks into the stove, and said with a smile, "Little brother Xiao Ming can't eat it yet. It's for Dong Dong." Lu Mingwen patted Dong Dong's head and said to Xue Huahua, "Dong Dong speaks very fast. It seems like he has a lot of new vocabulary. When Xiao Rui and the others came just now, Dong Dong pointed at Xiao Rui and shouted that they were going to fight the Japanese. Where did he learn that?"
His own child could not speak yet, but Lu Ming liked Dong Dong very much. Every day, he would teach Dong Dong to call him Fifth Uncle, Fifth Uncle. Unexpectedly, Dong Dong had learned to call him Fifth Uncle. One had to know that his eldest brother's son, Xiao Rui, could only call him Fifth Pig when he was three years old, which was a far cry from Dong Dong's.
"Yesterday, I saw Xiao Rui and the others playing in the snow. A few of them pretended to be the Eight Roads, a few of them pretended to be the Japanese, and the Eight Roads fought the Japanese. I guess he heard it." Dong Dong was very talented in language. After dinner, the whole family would make straw ropes. Lu Dewen and the others loved to recite ancient poems. One morning, Chao Caizhi told her that after Dong Dong woke up, he was playing with his legs on the bed. As he was playing, he began to recite ancient poems. Some of the sentences were not very clear, but they were indeed the ancient poems he had recited last night.
Children's memory was very good, especially when they were talking everywhere. This morning, Xixi even asked her what she meant by being thick-skinned. She asked where she heard it from, and Xixi said that Grandma Sun scolded people like that. Xue Huahua gave a brief explanation. On the way here, Lu Mingwen and Lu Jianxun had quarreled over sending a female comrade home. Xixi pointed at Lu Mingwen and said that he was thick-skinned.
Children's abilities were very strong when it came to applying what they learned.
"I think Dong Dong is also good at studying. In the future, let Xiao Ming follow them. Let's see if he can benefit from it." Lu Mingwen weighed his son, who was sleeping in his winter dress, and smiled honestly. Xue Huahua joked, "Okay, let's see if your mother can bear to. Your mother is someone who will feel uncomfortable if she doesn't see Xiao Ming for two minutes. If Xiao Ming runs around with Xixi, she will chase him all over the mountains and plains."
After having Xiao Ming, Liu Yunfang behaved more actively than Li Xuemei. She took care of Li Xuemei during her confinement period. She didn't let anyone interfere in washing clothes or cooking. There was a time when Xiao Ming was sick. If it wasn't for the fact that the pig farm couldn't do without people, she would have carried him in her arms all the time. This caused Lu Ming's sisters-in-law to complain that she was biased. When the news reached Liu Yunfang's ears, she calmly replied, "So what if I'm biased? Even after we split from the family, I still want to be fair like before."
At this point, what else could Lu Ming's sisters-in-law say?
Speaking of this, Lu Ming couldn't do anything about it. His mother used to be a very powerful person. Other than his eldest brother's son, Xiao Rui, who made his mother so happy that she couldn't sleep for a few days, his other children did not receive good treatment when they were born. His father said that Xiao Rui was the first boy in the family, so it was normal for his mother to be excited.
He thought that no matter whether Li Xuemei gave birth to a son or a daughter, his mother would not have much of a reaction. Unexpectedly, she was even happier than Xiao Rui.
"Auntie, after we leave, please persuade my mother to come back in a few days. Don't talk about it all day long. As a father, how can I harm my son?" Because of the matter of bringing Xiao Ming to the farm, Liu Yunfang had been unhappy for a few days. In the past, she would stay here every day and only return home when it was dark. These two days, she did not come over at all. They brought Xiao Ming to see the old master. It was not as serious as his mother said, as if Xiao Ming would catch a cold if he left the production team.
Xue Huahua knew very well what was on Liu Yunfang's mind. She was afraid that her grandson, whom she had raised by her own hands, would forget her in a few days. A few days ago, a wife in the production team weaned her child and took him to her mother's house to stay for a few days. When he came back, his parents did not even recognize him. Liu Yunfang heard that and could not calm down. When Li Xuemei said that she wanted to bring Xiao Ming to the farm to stay for a few days, how could Liu Yunfang not be angry?
"No problem. Your mother is not unreasonable. She is afraid that when Xiao Ming comes back, they will be estranged. Wasn't there an example of this in the production team a few days ago?" Xue Huahua looked at Li Xuemei who was busy in the kitchen. "You have taught Dewen and the rest for a whole year. I have nothing to thank you for. Wait for me tomorrow morning. I have made some food for your grandfather."
The old man's teeth were not good. He could not bite through bacon and sausages. Today, Lu Jianguo went to the commune for a meeting. She asked him to buy some meat and brown sugar. Coincidentally, Luo Mengying was going home, so they shared it.
"Auntie, why are you so polite? I have benefited from teaching Dewen and his brother. It is a good thing to learn and improve together. You are treating me like an outsider."
Xue Huahua expected that she would not accept it. "I am not giving it to you. It is for Xiao Ming's great-grandfather. Just bring it to him for me." While they were talking, Lu Jianguo came in from outside. He put down the meat and brown sugar that Xue Huahua wanted and asked for praise. "Huahua, look at this meat. You are satisfied. As you requested, it is pork belly that is neither fat nor lean …"
Hearing the meat, Dong Dong wanted to get off the ground. Sweet Potato did not care anymore. She shouted for Grandpa Lu and ran out. Seeing the meat on the table, he put his hands on the stool and tried to climb up. The stool collapsed backward. If it were not for Lu Hongying's quick reflexes, he would have fallen. Lu Hongying moved the stool away and scolded, "You will know when you fall. Stand properly."
Dong Dong raised his head impatiently. His mind was on the table. He did not care about what Lu Hongying said. Seeing this, Lu Hongying pulled him over and slapped his butt twice. Dong Dong struggled to run to Lu Dewen. He stepped on Lu Dewen's instep and tried to climb to the table through him. His eager look made Lu Jianguo laugh. "Dewen, Dong Dong is like you. His eyes light up when he hears about food. When he heard that there are bird eggs on the tree, he would go to the mountains even if he did not work. He would secretly find tiles to cook and eat. He almost burned down someone's house."
Lu Dewen was always lazy because of food. No matter where Lu Dewen hid, Lu Jianguo could find him every time. Why? The smoke from Lu Dewen's fire rose into the sky.
Hearing this, Lu Dewen blushed. Beside him, Lu Mingwen snorted softly. "Now you know how delicious you were in the past. You don't work, but you want to eat all by yourself every day …"
Lu Dewen was speechless.
"You're no better. You do the work, but where are your credits? You eat our food every day and do other people's work. "
When it came down to it, the two brothers were equally matched. Xixi scurried over and imitated Xue Huahua, putting on a straight face and slowly spitting out three words, "Thick skin."
Lu Dewen and Lu Mingwen were speechless.
"Hahahaha." Lu Jianguo laughed so hard that he couldn't stand straight. He patted Xixi's head. "Xixi, why are you so funny? Come, Grandpa Lu will give you some candy." Xue Huahua's two grandsons were famous for being smart. Many people teased them when they came to the pig farm, but the two brothers didn't get angry. They played by themselves when the adults were doing their homework, and no one had to worry about them.
He bought a mint candy for his grandsons. Xixi and Dong Dong each had one. Dong Dong peeled off the wrapper and stuffed it into his mouth. Xixi held it in his hand and didn't forget to thank him. Lu Jianguo smiled until his eyes turned into slits. "Huahua, I think Xixi is going to grow up. If you guys train him well, he will definitely be successful in the future."
The price of pork increased during the Lunar New Year. Xue Huahua bought two catties of pork for $1.50 and $50 for the brown sugar. Lu Jianguo gave the extra $1 to Xue Huahua. "It's getting late, and my kids are waiting for me to buy sweets. We can talk about this later." He stuffed the money into Xue Huahua's hands and went home.
With the sugar in his mouth, Dong Dong thought of the meat on the table again. He stretched out his arms and asked Xue Huahua to carry him. Xue Huahua hugged him, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "The meat isn't cooked. It can only be eaten when it's cooked." Her original intention was to ask Li Xuemei and Luo Mengying to eat at home, but the two refused no matter what she said. Xue Huahua thought about it and decided to bring the braised pork to them.
Xue Huahua had never cooked braised pork before. She only knew that she needed brown sugar and soy sauce. After the pot was dry, she threw the cut pork into the pot, stir-fried it a few times, added water, and added brown sugar to it. Xue Huahua was busy in the kitchen. Lu Dewen, who was in the central room, was making a straw rope while muttering to himself. The pork for the whole family was hanging on the bamboo pole in the central room. Why did Xue Huahua cook the meat again?
Of course, Lu Dewen and the others did not think that there was a sumptuous meal at home. They had eaten the meat since the beginning. It was only a few days, so it was impossible for them to eat it again. Lu Mingwen asked Lu Dewen, "When did our mom celebrate her birthday?" Since childhood, Xue Huahua seemed to have never celebrated her birthday. He didn't even know when it was.
"How could I remember? Mom never mentioned it. Dad never mentioned it when he was alive. You said mom celebrated her birthday? No, mom is more thrifty than us. How could she be willing to waste food? " Although they had rice and eggs to eat every month, Xue Huahua was not a good food. Unless she ate rice and eggs every month, Xue Huahua would never steam rice and eggs for herself.
"Then why?" The smell in the kitchen was not as strong as the smell of the meat they ate last time. Lu Mingwen sniffed and said, "Is mom preparing it for Xixi and Dong Dong?"
This was possible. Xixi and Dong Dong ate the best food at home. They ate eggs every few days. What was so delicious about it? Xue Huahua would definitely think of her grandson first. However … "There is more than two catties of meat. How can Xixi and Dong Dong finish it?"
The two brothers did not come to a conclusion. Xue Huahua came out holding the children's hands. "Mingwen, send Luo Zhiqing to the county tomorrow morning. Take the straw rope and exchange it for money. We won't make rope this year. Take some time to tidy up the firewood at home and prepare for the New Year." Everyone was studying hard this year. Lu Hongying collected the firewood in the shed when she had time. There was still a lot left. She had to study at home tomorrow and do what she needed to do.
Lu Mingwen was shocked. "Mom, should I send Luo Zhiqing?"
"Your brother is strong and needs to chop firewood. Who else can do it?"
Lu Mingwen nodded and looked at Lu Jianxun. Lu Jianxun understood. "I am willing to send Luo Zhiqing. As long as it is not a female comrade from the production team next door, I don't mind sending anyone." Those female comrades were too annoying. Not only did they speak shyly, but they also complained to Lu Mingwen that he was a burden that he couldn't get rid of. In all honesty, he was Lu Mingwen's companion. Naturally, he would go wherever Lu Mingwen went. How was he a burden?
Wouldn't they be a burden if they chose to walk through the bamboo forest instead of taking the wide road?
"But Second Brother, can you find the way back?" Lu Jianxun had never been to the county town. There were educated youths there to lead the way. How could he come back?
Lu Mingwen was troubled. He raised his head and confessed. "Mom, I don't know the way."
"The educated youth is sending someone to the county town. You will not get lost if you follow him." Xue Huahua was worried that the firewood would fall out, so she turned and entered the kitchen. Xixi and Dong Dong quickly followed. They ran faster than anyone else. Lu Mingwen thought to himself that Lu Jianguo was right. These two kids took after Lu Dewen and were delicious.
Xixi and Dong Dong leaned on Xue Huahua and looked at the stove with their legs touching. Xue Huahua picked up Dong Dong and pointed to the smoking pot. "The meat is not cooked. Cook it for Dong Dong." Xixi pulled her pants. Xue Huahua smiled and added, "Xixi will have a share too."
Perhaps remembering about the meat, the two brothers, who were usually sleepy after eating, were now very energetic. They refused to go back to their room even when it was dark and they couldn't see each other. They insisted on Xue Huahua carrying them. They sat with their left leg on Xixi and their right leg on Dongdong. They accompanied Xue Huahua in the kitchen to light up the fire. Lu Dewen and the others sat on the pile of firewood and used the light to memorize.
After a long time, Xue Huahua put down the children, opened the pot and scooped out two pieces of meat. Xixi and Dong Dong cheered. "Grandma, grandma." The two brothers only recognized Xue Huahua and did not recognize anyone else.
Seeing Xue Huahua walking away with the bowl, the two brothers clapped and followed her. They hugged Xue Huahua's thighs and shouted, "Grandma, grandma, hug me, hug me."
Xue Huahua had no choice but to sit down with the bowl. The hot meat was smoking. Xue Huahua brought it to Dong Dong's mouth. The latter blew on it and looked up at Xue Huahua. "It's hot." He pointed at the back of his hand. "It hurts."
"Yes, it's hot. Eat it later." Xue Huahua blew on Xixi again. She held the bowl with both hands and stood up when she felt that it was almost cold. "Sit down. Grandma is looking for chopsticks." Even if there was a fire in the stove, it did not illuminate much of the corner. Xue Huahua walked to the cupboard and took two chopsticks from the chopstick bag hanging on the wall. She picked up the meat in the bowl into small pieces and fed it to Xixi first. When it was Dong Dong's turn, his mouth opened wider than an egg. Xue Huahua laughed and gently put the meat in his mouth. Dong Dong took two bites and shouted in surprise, "It's sweet. It's sweet."
How could it not be sweet with brown sugar? The three brothers who were reciting at the back were extremely hungry. They had eaten sweet meat before. When Lu Jianguo's eldest son got married, they had a Ba Ba Banquet. The fat meat was cut into large pieces and steamed with brown sugar in the middle. The sweet meat was on top and sweet rice was at the bottom. It was very delicious. When they heard Dong Dong mention it, they could not help but think of the taste of sweet meat.
For a moment, the sound of saliva being swallowed could be heard in the kitchen.
Xue Huahua fed them two small pieces and passed the rest to Lu Dewen, who was behind her. "Each of you has a piece. Eat it and go to sleep. The braised pork in the pot is for Lu Ming's wife and Luo Zhiqing. The two of them have contributed a lot to our family's literacy campaign. Second Brother will send it to them tomorrow morning."
Xue Huahua scooped two small bowls and tore two pages of a book to cover the bowls. She tied the bowls with a rope so that other people in the team would not see it. "If anyone asks, you can just say that it's cooked bacon." Xue Huahua did this to avoid unnecessary trouble. The people in the team were idle and loved to talk nonsense. Li Xuemei was fine, but Luo Mengying was not married, so it was not good.
"Okay." Lu Mingwen, who got the job, was overjoyed. He had seen it. After filling two bowls, there was still some left in the pot. Needless to say, they must have eaten it themselves.
Xue Huahua knew what he was thinking. She explained, "There will be another test before the New Year. Those who do well will eat it. I will count how to arrange it tomorrow." Xue Huahua had always been fair when it came to food distribution. Lu Mingwen and the others knew that, so they never talked about it.
The next morning, Xue Huahua was still sleeping. She heard someone reading outside in a daze. She thought that she had overslept and got out of bed. She reached under the blanket and pinched the mattress under Xixi. It was cold and Xixi had peed on the bed twice, so she touched the mattress every day when she opened her eyes.
Dry.
Xue Huahua was relieved. Only then did she notice that it was still dark outside the window. She called out to Lu Mingwen, "Lu Mingwen, what are you doing?"
"Mom, it's still early. Go back to sleep. I can't sleep, I have to recite." On the veranda, Lu Mingwen was reciting with trembling legs. The cold wind blew the frost into his neck. He crossed his arms and jumped on the spot, his teeth chattering as he recited, "The Opium War caused China to become a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society. We lost our independence …" He could not speak clearly.
Xue Huahua frowned. "It's so cold. Go back to your room. If you catch a cold, don't expect me to take care of you."
There was no watch at home. Everything was done according to the time. Under her supervision, the whole family worked and rested regularly. If Lu Mingwen was reckless, he would get into trouble sooner or later. Moreover, there was still a long way to go. There were plenty of opportunities for him to hang himself.
Lu Mingwen wanted to say that he was not cold, but before he could say anything, he sneezed heavily. He did not dare to go against Xue Huahua. He shivered and hurried into the room.
Just as he lifted the blanket and got into bed, he was pushed away by Lu Jianxun. Lu Mingwen lifted the pillow and crawled under Lu Jianxun. Lu Jianxun couldn't resist the cold and had to open his eyes. He pushed Lu Mingwen away. "Lu Mingwen, what are you doing? I'm freezing."
"Brother, do you want to eat meat? Get up and memorize. I'll give you a test."
Lu Jianxun didn't want to memorize. He just wanted to sleep. Lu Mingwen pushed him again. "Get up. Let me ask you. What did the Soviet Union do in the 1920s to become a powerful socialist country?"
"How would I know? Brother, can you stop talking? I still want to sleep."
"Go to sleep. I heard Big Brother is also memorizing in his room. Third Sister is also up. If you don't work hard, you won't get meat." Lu Mingwen said resentfully.
Suddenly, the blanket beside him was blown away. Lu Jianxun's incredulous voice came through. "Big Brother and Third Sister are up? When? I feel like I just closed my eyes. "
"It's almost dawn. Do you think it's still early? Big Brother and the rest are working hard to eat meat. If we don't work hard, we will be left behind by them sooner or later." Don't think that you can eat rice and eggs during exams. That's just a reward for doing well. If you don't do well, you will be punished. If you can't score 85 in every subject, your meal will be halved. Don't you feel sad when you think about how others are stuffed with rice and eggs, but you are not even half full?
Lu Jianxun instantly lost all his sleepiness. He rubbed his face and said to Lu Mingwen, "Ask me a few math questions to clear my head."
Xue Huahua was still lying down when she heard some rustling sounds. Afraid that it was a thief, she held onto the pole behind the door and listened carefully. When she heard the voices of Lu Mingwen and Lu Mingwen, she was exhausted. She wanted to go out and scold them, but she was afraid of the cold. After thinking for a while, she put down the pole and went back to sleep. They could learn whatever they wanted.
Not long after she lay down, there was another voice outside. "Brother, brother, are you guys memorizing? Open the door. I'll go with you. "
Lu Dewen's slightly high-pitched voice came through the window. Xue Huahua was too lazy to scold them and went back to sleep.
When Xue Huahua opened her eyes, the sky was already bright outside. Xixi was wearing clothes and jumping around on the bed, reciting poems. Xue Huahua asked him, "Who dressed you?"
"Auntie." Xixi's index finger scratched his cheek. "Grandma slept late. Shameful."
Xue Huahua's face stiffened. She lifted the quilt and got off the bed. Outside, Lu Hongying had prepared breakfast and was probably waiting for her to wake up to eat. The siblings were sitting in the central room with their feet by the fire. Everyone was holding a book in their hands, writing and drawing on it. Seeing her, Lu Mingwen felt embarrassed. "Mom, you're awake. Did I wake you up last night?"
Speaking of this, he felt guilty. He thought it was almost dawn, so he dragged Lu Jianxun to study. Not long after, Lu Dewen joined them to memorize history, geography, and math questions. The three brothers were in high spirits waiting for Xue Huahua to wake up to make breakfast. However, there was no movement from Xue Huahua's room. They vaguely felt that there was a deviation in time. They hesitated to sleep and squeezed on the bed for a while. In the morning, Lu Hongying woke up and asked them why they didn't sleep at night. Only then did they know that it was not because Lu Mingwen woke up early, but because he didn't sleep at all.
"What do you think? What did I tell you? Learning needs to be efficient. Spending more time doesn't necessarily mean the results are good. You have to improve your learning efficiency. Do you have the energy to study through the night? "
Lu Mingwen patted his chest and promised. "I have the energy. I redid the exam papers a few days ago. I'm faster now."
Xue Huahua didn't say anything. It was useless to say more.
After breakfast, Lu Mingwen carried the straw rope. Lu Jianxun carried the bowls to the educated youth's room. Xue Huahua led Lu Dewen and the others to tidy up the shed. First, they carried the firewood out and placed it on the porch. Lu Dewen chopped the round wood into pieces. Chao Caizhi and Lu Hongying carried the firewood, while she cleaned the shed and stacked the bundles of firewood.
Everyone did their own work and didn't stay idle. After a while, Liu Yunfang came and complained as soon as she stepped into the yard. "I'm doing this for Xiao Ming's good. What if he catches a cold after carrying him for so long? I heard that the condition of the farm is bad. The beds are hard. What if Xiao Ming can't sleep on a bed? "
Looking at the messy pile of firewood on the porch, she didn't go into the house. Instead, she moved a stool and sat in the yard. She sighed and scolded Lu Ming.
"Don't think too much. Xuemei and Lu Ming aren't abusers. How can they not be careful? Don't read too much. If something happens to him, not only will the child suffer, but the adults will also suffer. " Xue Huahua sorted out the firewood that Lu Dewen chopped. The bigger ones were bundled with straw and carried into the shed. The smaller ones were packed in baskets and stacked on top of the corncob basket. Next time, they would be moved to the kitchen to be burned.
Hearing this, Liu Yunfang didn't dare to read anymore. If something happened to her, she would be the one who would feel bad.
Looking at Xixi and Dongdong who were playing happily in the central room, Liu Yunfang remembered something. "You asked Mingwen and Jianxun to send Luo Zhiqing?"
"Yes. What's wrong?" Xue Huahua bent down and talked to Liu Yunfang while working.
"Sigh, it's not like you don't know that there are a few male educated youths in the educated youth section who want to date Luo Zhiqing. When they heard that Mingwen was sending Luo Zhiqing off, they clamored to go with her. They even asked Lu Jianguo for a recommendation letter and almost got into a fight. There were too many educated youths in the production team, so it was not easy to cook in one big pot. Lu Jianguo asked someone to build another kitchen so that the male and female educated youths could cook separately.
The atmosphere in the educated youth room, which they didn't have a good relationship with before, gradually changed. The male and female educated youths slowly developed different feelings. Luo Mengying's family condition was good, so the male educated youths would try their best to curry favor with her. Don't think that intellectuals are snobbish. After Luo Mengying's university place was confirmed, several male educated youths secretly wrote love letters to Luo Mengying. After the university place was gone, they kept quiet for a few days and gradually started to attack again. Didn't they know that Luo Mengying would go back to the city for university sooner or later? Did they really think that they didn't know what they were thinking?
In the whole production team, Luo Mengying was the closest to Lu Dewen and the others. However, Lu Mingwen was divorced. Who else could they target if not him?
"Mingwen carried the straw rope to the county to exchange for money and sent Luo Zhiqing on the way. They didn't say anything, did they?" The male educated youths in the educated youth's room didn't like Lu Mingwen. They always looked at him as if he was their rival in love. Xue Huahua didn't care because she didn't think of Lu Mingwen and Luo Mengying in the same way. With Lu Mingwen's character, he wouldn't be able to control him. Don't hurt Luo Mengying.
"Even if they want to say it, they don't dare to. They asked Lu Jianguo for a recommendation letter, but Lu Jianguo directly scolded them. It's really troublesome." Liu Yunfang didn't understand what the male educated youths were thinking. If it was her, she would have given up when she saw Luo Mengying had no intention of dating someone. Instead of wasting time, it was better to look for someone else.
Xue Huahua recalled the day when the new educated youths came to the production team. Lu Jianguo called her to the educated youth's room to read Liang Lanfen's confession letter. All of their young faces showed a terrified expression. After that, they ran away faster than loaches when they saw her on the road. It was like she was the King of Hell. In front of others, they would only give Lu Mingwen a cold look. They only dared to say anything in private.
"I'm afraid they won't be satisfied if they don't send Luo Zhiqing. Lu Jianguo's temper can't stop them from wanting to show off."
Liu Yunfang was surprised. "No way."
Actually, as Xue Huahua said, Lu Jianguo really couldn't subdue them. He had no choice but to open the recommendation letter and warn them not to make trouble on the road. Otherwise, they would not be able to leave the village in the future. It should be known that educated youths were assigned to the production team after they went to the countryside. Without the team leader's approval, they could not go back to the city.
Therefore, even if the educated youths didn't like Lu Mingwen, they didn't dare to hit him on the road. Luo Mengying carried a small suitcase and walked behind them. Lu Mingwen carried a shoulder pole and was squeezed in the front. Lu Jianxun carried a few books and followed Lu Mingwen. "Second brother, Luo Zhiqing is so good. These questions are enough for us for a long time." No wonder Luo Mengying was so busy earlier. It was because of the questions. "Luo Zhiqing said that he would bring all the test papers from home next year. Do you think the questions from the school in the city will be very difficult?"
After Xue Huahua finished learning the high school textbooks, everyone would be rewarded with 60 cents. They could buy whatever they wanted. Lu Hongying had already received the money. Only the three brothers and Chao Caizhi were left. Lu Hongying was worried that the test papers were too difficult. What if they couldn't meet Xue Huahua's requirements?
"No matter how difficult the questions are, they are all derived from the textbooks. As long as we learn the contents of the textbooks, we can solve any questions." Lu Mingwen curled his toes. The ground was wet, and cloth shoes were not easy to dry. Both he and Lu Jianxun were wearing straw sandals. When their feet were wet, they kept moving forward, which made them uncomfortable. "Fourth brother, what do you want to buy now that you have the money?"
Before Lu Jianxun answered, he said, "I want to buy a pair of liberation shoes, like the ones the educated youths wear. No matter the weather, I don't have to worry about the soles getting wet."
Lu Jianxun hurriedly added, "I also want to buy liberation shoes. In our production team, only Uncle Jianguo has liberation shoes. He bought them before the commendation ceremony in the city last year." People in the village wore cloth shoes in winter and straw sandals in summer. Before the educated youths came, few people had heard of liberation shoes.
"We can also wear them in the future." Lu Mingwen calculated the time. Based on the current progress of his studies, he would finish his high school courses the year after next. Once he got the money, he would immediately go to the city to buy liberation shoes.
When the other educated youths heard their words, they chuckled. Country bumpkins want to wear liberation shoes? Dream on. They even treated Lu Mingwen as a competitor. Looking at his shabby appearance, even if Luo Mengying agreed to date him, Luo Mengying's parents would not agree. A male educated youth came to Luo Mengying and said, "Comrade Luo Mengying, why did you help them eliminate illiteracy? I think they are so arrogant that they almost forgot their identity. "
Luo Mengying's ears were buzzing with people talking. Naturally, she did not hear what Lu Mingwen and his brother said. Hearing people ridiculing the brothers, she slightly frowned and said, "Before you laugh at others, think about who you are. Lu Mingwen and his brothers are hardworking and not afraid of hardship. Regardless of the cold or the heat, they never give up on learning. In terms of culture, you may be better than them, but in terms of character, you may not be better than them. "
At least, she saw the hardworking spirit in Lu Mingwen and his brothers. Compared to many lost and degenerate educated youths who went to the countryside, they were much better.
No matter how the dynasties changed and how the times changed, learning was the key to ensuring that one did not fall behind others.
Didn't China get to where it is today because its leaders did not give up and worked hard to fight against evil forces? With Lu Mingwen and his brothers' simple learning spirit, they will be successful sooner or later.
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